Could We Start Again Please?
by theoofoof
Summary: AU after 2x08. What happened to Alex after she was shot by Gene? And what happens now? Rated T for a few bad words. EPILOGUE NOW UP!
1. The Morning From Hell

**I must be mad, taking on another story but this one shouldn't be too long 6 or 7 chapters at the most. I will still be continuing with Tumble & Twirl, so if you're reading that - don't worry. This story is AU from the end of Series 2. (Is it wrong that in most of my fics I've ignored Series 3?) Anyway, please bear that it mind when you're reading. **

**Thanks to Gene'sGirl13 for checking this over for me. Any mistakes...it's her fault. Lol! (But I did name a character after her so she can't complain!)**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Ashes to Ashes. If I did, we'd have had a different ending! The franchise and its characters belong to Kudos and BBC and I am not making any money from writing this. The title is taken from the Andrew Lloyd Webber song of the same name from the show Jesus Christ Superstar, and I don't own that either. **

**Chapter 1 – The Morning from Hell**

Alex Drake opened her eyes slowly and turned to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table,

"Shit!" she exclaimed as she saw the time; she'd overslept. Of all the days to sleep through her alarm, it had to be today. Typical! That just summed up her life at the moment. Quickly she clambered out of bed and carefully tucked the quilt around the still sleeping figure next to her. The air in the bedroom was cold; the heating having clicked off an hour ago so Alex rushed to the bathroom, eager to get under the hot spray of the shower. The warm water beat down against her skin waking her fully and easing the kinks that had resulted from her restless night. She washed quickly, ever conscious of the time.

Stepping out of the shower, the steam billowed around Alex in the small en-suite. She quickly dried off and then wrapped the towel round her. She swiped her hand across the steam-filled mirror and began combing her hair through. As she did so, she carefully examined her reflection. Her eyes automatically fell on the small scar on her forehead. She touched her fingers to it gently. It had been nearly two years since she'd been shot on that disused boat by Arthur Layton. Luckily the bullet hadn't penetrated and she'd come through the operation and fought off the infection that had set in. She'd still been in a coma for nearly a month though. Whilst she was out of it, she'd visited the same world as Sam Tyler; met and befriended the same people as him: Ray, Chris and Gene. Gene Hunt, now there was a figure she'd never forget. The faces of the others had faded slightly, but she could still picture Gene as clear as day. She still remembered the first time she met him, when he'd saved her from Edward Markham; there was that car, those boots and then him. She'd been so scared, she thought she'd gone mad but he'd made her feel safe. She still dreamt about him, even now after all this time. She could still hear him barking out orders to his team or slurring his words across the table at her after knocking back a few too many glasses of Luigi's house rubbish. When they'd first met she had thought he was a misogynistic dinosaur, but they'd quickly become friends and there was a point, before she left, when she thought that they were heading towards being something more but then…

A groan from the adjoining room pulled her from her thoughts. Opening the door she saw her daughter attempting to get out of bed.

"Woah! Where do you think you're going?" she asked, rushing over to Molly's side.

"I need to get ready for school," Molly replied, clutching her stomach.

"I don't think so young lady. You're in no fit state to go in today."

"I'll be fine, Mum," insisted Molly unconvincingly. "I've got a big chemistry test today; I can't miss it."

"You have been up all night being sick; you have a temperature and you can't have had more than 3 hours sleep. You're not well. Get back in bed. I'll ring school and explain. I'm sure you'll be able to take the test another day." Molly reluctantly agreed; she had to admit she didn't feel particularly well. "I on the other hand, have to go to work; I've got three cases on the go at the moment and to top it all off, my new DCI starts today. Not the best day for me to oversleep."

"I'm sorry," apologised Molly weakly.

"Don't you dare apologise. It's not your fault; you didn't ask to be ill. I'll ring Evan, see if he can call in and check on you at some point today. I'll try and get home at lunch time, but I can't promise."

Molly nodded, pulling the covers tight around her as Alex reluctantly picked up the phone; she hated having to rely on Evan. He was more than willing however, and said that he would call in on Molly about ten-ish and could stay until one, but he was due in court at two so would have to leave. Molly insisted that she would be fine on her own but it didn't stop Alex worrying as she flitted around trying to get ready. She picked up her grey pin stripe 'power suit', wanting to make a good impression on her new boss and returned to the bathroom to change.

She unfastened the towel and let it drop to the floor, her eyes catching the small circle of wrinkled skin on her stomach as she began to dress. When she'd first awoken, she had mentioned to doctors about her coma world, but they'd insisted it was just a dream induced by the trauma, and with no evidence to the contrary Alex had been forced to believe them. That was until the day when she'd been able to examine her body for herself and found the scar from the gunshot wound, inflicted by Gene's gun on that fateful day in 1982. When she saw that, even though she couldn't explain how, she knew it had all been real. Since she had woken, she and Molly had grown much closer and Molly was the only one who didn't judge when Alex told her about her 'coma-world'. She sat and listened intently as he mother recalled events and told stories from her time there. She said she didn't care whether it was real or not; if her Mum believed it then that was all that matters. When she had crawled into her mother's bed in the early hours of this morning seeking comfort after being sick, she had asked to be told, for the hundredth time, the story of how Alex and Gene had gotten trapped in the vault at Edgehampton. Molly had suggested on several occasions that they could possibly do some research to try and find out if Gene, Ray, Chris, Shaz and the rest of the team had actually existed, but Alex had been reluctant; at first she hadn't felt emotionally strong enough to deal with the consequences that something like that could bring, and now she was back at work she just didn't have the time.

Applying the last of her make-up she slipped quietly out of the bathroom, careful not to disturb Molly. She rushed to the kitchen and selected an apple for her breakfast; there was no time for anything else, she was late enough as it was. She also poured a glass of water for Molly and placed it on the bedside table along with a stern note instructing her not to eat anything and to ring if she needed her. Convinced that she'd done everything she could to make Molly comfortable she slipped on her shoes and rushed out of the door.

As she stepped out she was met with a gust of bitterly cold air and one look at her car told her she wouldn't be going anywhere soon; ice covered the roof and windows. She unlocked the car and started the engine, leaving the car running to help clear the inside of the windscreens, while she set about defrosting the outside. The policewoman in her told her it was a silly thing to do; anyone could come by and steal it, but she reasoned that she wouldn't be leaving the vicinity of the car, and the quicker it warmed up the quicker she could get to work. She shook the can of de-icer, less than half the can remained, but hopefully it would be enough if she used it sparingly. Armed with her scraper and trusty de-icer, she had soon cleared the front and back windscreens as well as the passenger side windows and she had just moved onto the driver's side when the de-icer ran out. Cursing herself for not being more prepared, she threw the empty canister back into the car and began scraping, taking out her frustrations on the stubborn ice. Finally the car was cleared and the interior was warming up slightly so she could get on with her journey.

As the Lexus glided smoothly through the estate Alex activated her blue-tooth and called Molly's school.

"Good morning, The Vale School; Barbara speaking."

"Oh Good morning, it's Alex Drake here. Molly Drake's mother; year 9."

"Oh yes Miss Drake, what can I do for you?"

"I'm just phoning to let you know that Molly won't be in today; she's been sick all night."

"Ah yes, Mr White rang earlier to inform us. I told him she will need to remain off school until she is symptom free for 48 hours." Alex let out a frustrated sigh; Evan had been near unbearable since she'd been released from hospital; fussing over her and Molly and taking control - doing things for her that she was perfectly capable of doing herself.

"Oh, okay. He didn't mention that he'd call. While I'm on, I don't suppose it would be possible to speak to Molly's chemistry teacher; Mr Tully?"

"I'll just check if he's available. One moment please." There was a few moments pause before a man's voice came through her headset.

"Miss Drake, Mr Tully here. What can I do for you?"

"Oh hi. It's just that Molly's sick and won't be in today but she's really worried about a Chemistry test that she should be taking today, and I was just wondering what she could do about that?" Mr Tully chuckled,

"Tell Molly not to worry about it. If she comes and sees me when she gets back to school I'll arrange for her to take the test one lunchtime. That should keep her calm her fears."

"Thank you Mr Tully," replied Alex as she slowed down to join a queue of cars.

"No problem. Look, I know how much Molly hates missing school, so I'll get together with some of her other teachers and send some work to her school e-mail address for her to do tomorrow if she's feeling up to it."

"Okay, that's great. Thanks again." No sooner had Alex hung up, her phone started ringing again. She glanced at the caller display. It was the office. She accepted the call,

"DI Drake."

"Alex, it's Megan. Where are you?" Megan was a Detective Sergeant and the closest thing Alex had to a friend in the office.

"I'm on my way; it's just been one of those mornings. Molly's been up sick all night so I overslept then I had to de-ice my car and now I'm stuck in traffic."

"Well I'd hurry up if I were you. The new boss is here and he's going to notice sooner or later that you aren't and he won't be happy." Alex sighed. This was just what she needed; to piss off her superior officer on his first day. "But to be fair," continued Megan, "he's doesn't seem to be happy about most things. He's like a bear with a sore head."

"Tell him I'm on my way. That I'm sorry, but I had a sick child to deal with."

"I'll tell him but I don't think he's going to care about your reasons. He's completely different to DCI Campbell; he's a dinosaur in comparison."

**A/N: Hope that was okay and you're all eagerly awaiting more? Please let me know what you think by pressing the review button. Go on, you know you want to!**


	2. The New Boss

**Wow! The response to the first chapter was fantastic and as a reward for you all you kind people who reviewed and favourited and put on alert, I'm posting the second chapter quite quickly. I can't promise that updates will be this regular in future though. **

**Thanks to GenesGirl13 again, for betaing this for me. **

**Chapter 2 – The New Boss**

"Right you lot; gather round and listen up. I want ter be briefed on all yer current cases. I want ter know what yer doing an' why!" Megan rolled her eyes at her new DCI's tone before picking up her files and making her way over to the conference table in the middle of the room. She plonked her notes on the table and took a seat along with everyone else. She felt the eyes of her superior officer scan the table and stop on the empty seat next to her. "Who's missing?" he barked. Megan raised her hand slowly; she wasn't normally this timid but she didn't really know how to act around this brusque senior officer.

"It's DI-" she began, but he didn't let her finish.

"A DI and 'e can't even get 'imself in ter work on time?"

"_She's_ on her way sir..."

"Oh good. Another woman," Megan heard him mutter.

"...She's just running late; her daughter is sick."

"Sick daughter or not; she should be here!" He looked at the others, "Is there any point continuing this if she's not here?"

"Not really," answered DC John Fisher, "Alex has been the leading our top three investigations. She knows more about them then any of us."

"Alex?"

"Sorry, I mean DI Drake." If anyone thought their new DCI had paled at the use of Alex's first name, it was nothing on the colour he went when he heard her full name.

"DI Alex Drake?"

"Yeh," answered Fisher, "you know her?" Their boss ignored the young DC and turned to Megan,

"You! What's yer name?" he asked, standing up.

"M- Megan," she stuttered. Taking a calming breath she started again, "DS Megan Clarke."

"DS Clarke, get me Alex Drake's personnel file. I want it on me desk inside the next fifteen minutes!" he instructed as he made his way to his office, calling back over his shoulder, "Fisher...tea...5 sugars!"

* * *

Ten minutes later DCI Gene Hunt sat at his desk staring at a photo of a woman he never thought he'd see again. A woman who he wasn't even sure had existed in the first place. She looked different in the picture. She was dressed more conservatively than he had ever had seen her, and her hair was longer and lighter. But it was definitely her. There was no mistaking those eyes.

When Gene had woken up in hospital a year ago, he didn't know how he'd gotten there; didn't remember anything but his name and he certainly couldn't explain how it was suddenly 2009. The doctors told him he'd been in a car accident; he'd been in a coma for nearly 6 months. He didn't understand; the last thing he remembered was being in 1983. The doctors called it amnesia and blamed cranial trauma for his dreams, but they were so real. They couldn't have been dreams, could they?

He remembered that time so vividly; the colours, the smells, the people, but most of all Bolly. He remembered the way she'd sashay up to him in those skin tight jeans, those off the shoulder tops and that leather jacket that never failed to give him the horn. The countless nights they had sat together in that corner table in Luigi's putting the world to rights. The seamless way they'd worked together to bring down Mac and expose the corruption.

But those good memories came hand in hand with memories of that fateful day when he'd lost her. She hadn't listened to him as usual; he'd explicitly told her to stay away from the King Douglas Lane job, but she had completely ignored him. He'd found her, held at gunpoint by that Boris bloke; heard him say that she couldn't be corrupted. Hearing those words almost broke him. He'd been wrong; he'd doubted her and it had led them to this. He pulled the trigger and Boris fell and he thought he'd saved her again, but then Jeanette showed up. That's when he knew he'd been taken for a ride; Jeanette and Boris had been working together and had succeeded in breaking his and Alex's 'unbreakable' partnership. He still didn't remember clearly what happened next. He'd fired his gun and the next thing he knew Bolly was on the floor, blood seeping out of her stomach onto the crisp whiteness of her leather jacket.

She'd died 2 days later; they'd buried her, grieved for her. There was a hearing; he'd been stripped of his badge; forced to take early retirement. He had no-one; Alex was gone and Ray, Chris and Shaz blamed him for it and he had no job. He'd spent the days after the funeral in her flat; being surrounded by her things had somehow helped him feel closer to her. He'd listened to her tapes, then hundreds she'd made since she'd arrived. Once he'd finished the last one he'd drunk himself into a stupor and fell asleep on that awful zebra striped sofa. That was the last thing he remembered before waking up in 2009.

An old woman had visited him after he had awoken claiming to be his mother, but no matter how hard he tried he didn't recognise her. Despite this and his constant rebuttals, she persisted in visiting him and talking to him. Eventually fragments of memories began floating back slowly. He remembered his Mum; he recalled playing with another boy as a child...a brother maybe? His Mother had confirmed the existence of Stuart, but then had to inform him that he had died several years previously. He vaguely remembered a wedding, and his Mum had filled him in on his disaster of a marriage. He remembered the days leading up to the accident; things hadn't been going well at work; the departments solve rated was going down the pan. Sometimes it seemed there was never going to be anything good to remember and he quickly sank into a depression. The only time he felt happy was when he was asleep; when he could dream about them; about her but then he'd wake up and be even more depressed that she wasn't there.

Once he'd realised that he was indeed from this era and had come to terms with all that that entailed, he'd boxed off his coma dreams; hidden them away in a small part of his brain. Or at least he tried to anyway. Every so often he'd come across an article or TV show about the 80's and he'd be right back there, or he'd see a white leather jacket or ridiculously high heeled shoes and he'd feel a familiar stirring inside. The same stirring he was feeling right now. His head was spinning; she was real and she was here. She was going to walk into this office very soon. What the hell was he supposed to say to her; how was he supposed to act? How would she react? Would she even remember him? He looked up as the exterior door opened and in stepped Alex Drake. Gene took a deep breath and rose from his chair. It was time to find out.

* * *

Alex rushed into the office and straight to her desk. Before she had even had chance to take her coat off Megan was at her side,

"Hey. You okay?" she asked.

"Not particularly. It's been one hell of a morning. I just hope the rest of the day is better.

"I wouldn't bet on it," replied Megan. Alex shot her a questioning glance. "The new boss...he asked for your personnel file."

"What? Why?" asked Alex, panicked.

"Don't know. He noticed you were missing from the briefing then asked for your file. He's looking over it as we speak."

"Oh great!" commented Alex with a sigh as she removed her coat and hung it over the back of the chair. She registered the sound of the DCI's office door opening and glanced nervously at Megan.

"Nice of yer ter join us DI Drake," came an all too familiar voice. A voice she hadn't heard in such a long time; that she thought she'd never hear again. Slowly she lifted her head to look at the source of the voice and her eyes widened at the man stood there. A tidal wave of emotion rushed over her. It was all too much; she fainted.

"Don't worry," Gene assured his new team as they flocked around her, "I 'ave that effect on 'er!"

**A/N Dun-dun-dun! I'm going to leave you hanging there...cos I'm mean like that! Lol. Had you guessed who it was going to be? I know some people had, so well done to those people. Virtual cookies all round! **


	3. Long Time, No See

**Thank you so much for all your reviews. I couldn't bear to leave you all with that cliffhanger for too long so here is the next part. Thanks again to GenesGirl13 for beta-ing**

**Chapter 3 – Long Time, No See**

He allowed himself a small smirk before approaching her, she did remember him then. Kneeling down next to her he gave her a couple of light slaps to the cheeks to rouse her. Her eyes blinked open slowly,

"G-Gene?"

"Long time, no see Bolls," he commented with a ghost of a smile before helping her up. He perched her on the edge of her desk as she tried desperately to ignore the glances and whispers reverberating across the office. Conscious of their audience Gene quickly reverted back to his usual self, "My office. Now!"

She stood slowly and followed him into his office, allowing him to close the door behind her. As soon as she heard the click of the lock she turned around and flung herself at him wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head his neck; inhaling his familiar scent: cigarette smoke and whiskey. He stumbled backwards slightly, taken off guard by the force of her embrace. Once he'd steadied himself, he closed his arms tightly around her and held her. Time seemed to stand still for them as they stood there in the middle of his office reconnecting with each other. Eventually, Alex pulled back with a sniff, indicating that she had been crying. She didn't look at him.

"Well that were one 'ell of a welcome Bolls. A great way to inflate a bloke's ego," he teased, causing her to smile through her tears and glance up at him. He reached out and put his hand under her chin, lifting her head so he could see her face.

"What are you doing here? Look at you, I mean you've not aged a day in 18 years! How is that possible?"

"Well yer've definitely not changed; yer pretty little 'ead's still full of questions I see," he smirked.

"This isn't funny Gene," she chided. "How can you be here looking exactly like you did in 1982?"

"It weren't me back then. I mean it were but...it..."

"Spit it out Gene."

"I were like you Alex. I were in a coma!"

"What?" Alex yelled at him. Her mood swings hadn't diminished since he'd last seen her, he noted. "You complete and utter bastard! I told you what had happened to me. I stood in your office and poured out the sad, painful truth to you and you pushed me away. You said you didn't believe me, yet it had happened to you. You knew!" She launched herself at him again, but not in such a pleasant a way as before. This time, her fists were flying and she landed numerous blows to his chest as she vented her anger. Conscious of how painful her right hooks could be he grabbed her wrists and stopped her from pounding,

"That's enough Bolls," he told her. She continued to struggle so he gripped tighter, "I said that's enough!" Forcefully, she pushed him away, screaming

"Get off me!" before bolting from his office and out of the department.

'Shit!' he thought to himself, 'that was a right royal cock up!' He stared through his open door, all eyes were on him.

"Get on with some bloody work!" he barked before storming out after Alex.

* * *

He had been searching for her for nearly half an hour when Megan happened upon him leaning against the wall in the corridor looking defeated. She approached him cautiously,

"Still no luck then, sir?"

"Does it look like it?" he snapped.

"Sorry sir." He dismissed her apology with a wave of his hand; it wasn't needed.

"I don't suppose you'd 'ave any idea where she might be?" Megan regarded him for a moment; he might have been a bit sharp with them this morning, but he and Alex obviously had some unfinished business that needed to be sorted out soon if they were to be working together. She also thought she saw some care and concern in his eyes for Alex, not that she could see him ever admitting that.

"There is one place she might be; come on." Megan led him confidently through the station; Gene was lost by the time they turned the third corner. They climbed what seemed to Gene to be a never ending staircase, before arriving at a steel door. "The roof," explained Megan. "Not many people come up here. It's kind of frowned upon...y'know, health and safety and all that. But Alex sometimes comes up here when she needs to think," she told him. He didn't reply; he just stared at the door as if his whole life hung on what he would find on the other side. "I'll leave you too it sir," Megan said, taking her leave.

Gene waited until the echoes of Megan's heels on the stairs died out before pushing open the door. He stepped out into the fresh air; the cold wind startling him. He looked around, no Alex. He was just about to return to the office, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned around. Alex was stood precariously close to the edge. Even though there was a barrier, Gene was not happy about the situation. He approached slowly,

"Not thinkin' of jumpin' are yer Bolls?" Alex whipped round startled at the sound of Gene's voice, catching her foot and stumbling as she did so. She wobbled slightly, grabbing onto the railing to steady herself. Gene was at her side in seconds, his arm instinctively going round her waist to protect her falling. "Jesus Bolls! Yer nearly gave me an 'eart attack then."

"You shouldn't go round creeping up on people who are stood on top of tall buildings then, should you?" she challenged, shrugging off his arm and moving away. As if she'd really jump off the top of a building because of him.

"Well maybe yer shouldn't be on top o' tall buildins in the first place then!" he shot back sharply. Alex glared at him and turned away. He cursed himself for not thinking before opening his mouth; for letting his emotions get the better of him. To feel her in his arms again, something he'd though he'd never experience again, was fantastic. But when she'd blown up at him he'd been hurt and he'd put his defences back up in a feeble attempt to protect himself, pushing her further away in the process. He ran his fingers through his hair, exhaling deeply. "Look Bolls...Alex...I'm sorry. I came up 'ere ter find yer. I think we need ter talk."

"Go on then," said Alex with a sniff, "talk."

"Just come away from the edge Bolls. Please?" Alex did as he asked, stepping backwards and turning to face him, looking at him expectantly. "Bolls, I-" Gene was cut off by the shrill ringing of Alex's Blackberry. She fished the device out of her pocket and answered it,

"Evan?...What?" Alex's face drained of colour. "No, no, no, no, no...alright I'm on my way." She hung up without saying goodbye and turned to Gene, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes, "I've got to go," she told him, "Molly's been taken to hospital. They think...they think it's meningitis." Alex broke down and before Gene knew what was happening she'd flung herself at him and was in his arms again, clinging to him for comfort. He surrounded her in his embrace and began rubbing her back soothingly, praying that he didn't screw this up; he never had been any good with emotional women.

"Come on love, let's get yer ter the 'ospital."

**A/N: It was pointed out to me that I'm cruel to kids in my fics...I don't know why that is, but it does seem to be the case at the moment. Apologies.**


	4. An Elephant In The Room

**Here's the next chapter - it's completely unbeta'd so any mistakes are my own. In this (and the next) I have borrowed some lines from a couple of episodes of Series 3. I figured that as this was kinda AU Series 3 then that was okay! lol. But I don't own them. Oh and apologies to those who like Evan - I personally can't stand him. He creeps me out.**

**Chapter 4 – An Elephant in the Room**

Gene had insisted on driving Alex to St Bart's hospital, despite her protests that she was fine. Inwardly she was glad he was there; as much as she hated to admit it, she needed him. When they arrived the receptionist directed them to the Paediatric High Dependency Unit where Evan was waiting for them. He approached Alex to embrace her but she shrugged him off and he then gave Gene a cursory glance, before turning his attentions back to Alex. Evan obviously didn't remember Gene, but Gene recognised him immediately and suddenly everything about Alex clicked, why she'd been so angry to discover Caroline Price's affair, how she knew about the bomb and why she tried so hard to save her and Tim. They were her parents; she was little Alex Price. Gene was just attempting to get his head around this new information when Alex's voice broke through his reverie.

"What happened?" she asked Evan.

"I called round like you asked me to. I let myself in; didn't want to disturb Molls. I heard retching coming from the bathroom and found Molly being sick. She was burning up so I helped her back to her room, with the intent of calling the doctor, but as she got in to bed her top rode up slightly and I noticed the rash on her stomach. I did the glass test and then rang the ambulance. When they arrived they confirmed my fears; they thought it was meningitis too." Alex barely reacted to Evan's explanation, her eyes fixed on the double doors at the end of the corridor where Molly was being treated. They three of them sat and waited in silence. Evan would occasionally look warily across at Gene, but made no move to introduce himself which was fine by Gene. He didn't really know what he would say to him anyway. A nurse arrived after what could only have been about 15 minutes but felt like hours.

"Ms Drake?" she asked. Alex stood up, eager for news. "Molly's settled now. We've started her on some IV antibiotics to fight the infection and bring her temperature down. We've also given her something to help her sleep."

"Is it definitely meningitis then?" The words were out of Gene's mouth before he could stop them. He fixed his gaze on the nurse, trying desperately to ignore the look he was getting from Evan.

"We've not confirmed that yet, but it appears so. We'll need to do a lumbar puncture to be certain. Don't worry though; we're taking good care of her."

"Can I see her?" Alex asked.

"Of course. Come with me and I'll show you through." Even stood to accompany Alex but she stopped him with a shake of her head before whispering,

"Gene?" and looking at him longingly.

"Me?" he asked, shocked. Alex nodded and, unable to deny her anything, he stood up and followed her down the hall ever conscious of the daggers he was receiving from Evan.

* * *

The nurse showed them into a small side room where Molly lay in bed connected to all sorts of machinery. The sight of her daughter in such a state; covered in wires, caused Alex to crumble once more, but Gene was there to offer comfort and support.

"It looks worse than it is," the nurse assured them. "The machines are just to monitor her; they're not assisting her in any way. She's breathing fine on her own, but she'll probably be out of it for a while." Alex nodded and composed herself slightly before approaching her daughters bedside. She reached out and stroked her daughter's forehead, pushing her hair out of her face. The nurse left assuring them she would be back shortly and suddenly Gene felt very nervous. He began shuffling from foot to foot, unsure of what to do.

"She's burning up," remarked Alex, her hand on Molly's forehead.

"Erm...well, yer 'eard the nurse...they're treatin' that."

"I'm scared Gene. What if...what if she dies?" Alex asked, tears streaming down her face.

"She ain't goin' ter die, Bolls," Gene assured, waking over to her and putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You can't promise that Gene! There's no way you can know that for sure!"

"Listen, if she's even 'alf as determined as 'er mother, she'll be up an' about quicker than shit off a shovel!" Alex couldn't help but smile through her tears; he was still Gene. She sat down on one of the blue plastic chairs that were next to Molly's bed.

"Thank you," Alex whispered, earning a raised eyebrow from Gene. "For being here," she clarified. Gene nodded but chose not to say anything. He was in danger of sounding like a poof if he did. He turned his attention back to Molly, watching her as she slept.

"She looks like you," he commented a few minutes later.

"Really? I think she's more like her Dad. She's got his eyes," Alex told him, before suddenly standing up in a panic. "Shit! Pete. I need to phone him." Alex's relationship with her ex-husband had improved slightly since she'd been shot. He'd moved back to Britain to help take care of Molly and the three of them now had a cordial relationship, although Alex suspected Molly still harboured some ill-feeling towards her father.

"Pete?"

"Molly's father," she explained. More memories flooded Gene's consciousness; a burglary, a scrawny little 14 year old, Alex acting even more like a fruitcake than usual.

"Peter Drake? Can't believe you actually married that creep."

"Neither can I," admitted Alex, "but I got Molly out of it so I can't regret it too much. Will you stay with her while I go and ring him?"

"Err, yeh." Gene wasn't particularly comfortable with the idea, but he knew it was important to Alex. He sat in silence, gazing out of the window, trying to get his head around the events of the day. He certainly hadn't been expecting all this on his first day that's for sure. But he had Bolly back and he was determined that they would become as strong and united as they had been in their 80's world; unbreakable.

He was just thinking that Alex had been gone rather a long time when he heard the door behind him open,

"Yer took yer time Bolls," he commented but on turning round he was faced, not with Alex, but with Evan.

"Alex had to go outside; couldn't get a signal," he offered.

"Ah right. Yeh...erm...it can be a bastard fer that round 'ere."

"Can I just ask?" began Evan, "who exactly are you?" Gene stood to his feet,

"DCI Gene Hunt. Alex's new boss. Yer must be Evan White?" He extended a hand to Evan, which he reluctantly took before shaking firmly; a little too firmly in Gene's opinion.

"You and Alex seem quite close considering you only met this morning," Even observed. Gene got the feeling Evan didn't like him and he had to say the feeling was mutual, but at least he had a reason. Even hardly knew him yet he was judging him.

"We used ter work tergether," Gene told him; it wasn't technically a lie.

"When? Because I don't recall Alex mentioning you." Evan's attitude was really starting to irritate Gene,

"Oh, and she tells yer everythin' does she?"

"Yes. We have a very open and honest relationship." Gene had to bite back a scoff; thinking about Evan lying to Alex for all those years about her parents death.

"That's not strictly true though is it?" Alex said as she re-entered the room, her statement mirroring Gene's thoughts. Evan looked at her confused, but she brushed him off. "Pete's on his way. Reckons he should be here in a couple of hours. As for Gene and I, like he said, we worked together a couple of years back." Gene smirked at Alex's use of the phrase, 'a couple of years' but then he supposed they could hardly tell him the truth; he'd have them both committed to the funny farm. Alex noticed Gene's expression and had a hard time keeping her own face straight. "Evan? You couldn't go and get me a coffee could you? And not that awful stuff in the machine that pretends to be coffee; something from the canteen. Something to eat would be nice too, you know what I like." Alex asked putting on the puppy dog eyes that her godfather had never been able to resist. She was desperate to get rid of him so she and Gene could talk. "Do you want anything Gene?" she asked much to Evan's chagrin.

"Tea would be good ta. Five sugars. Oh and some biscuits; Garibaldis if they've got 'em," said Gene, trying not to look smug at Evan's disgruntled face.

"Sorry about him," sighed Alex as she sat back down next to Gene. "He can be a bit intense at times."

"No need ter apologise, Bolls. He's just lookin' out fer yer."

"I know. I just find it harder to put up with now...knowing what I know." The reference to their 80's world caused a tension to settle on the room again, one which Alex was keen to get rid of once and for all. "About before. I'm sorry for shouting...and hitting." She looked at the floor in shame.

"Wouldn't be the first time yer've 'it me," he remarked with a smirk, which she returned shyly. "Come on Bolly, out with it.

"What?"

"Alex, there's an elephant in the room. Let's get it out the way eh?"

"Okay," she agreed, "what happened to you? How come you ended up in that world?"


	5. Explanations

******Apologies for the delay in updating. I have been mega busy and was away this last weekend. But you here you are (at last!) Thanks to Gene'sGirl13 for beta-ing!**

**Chapter 5 – Explanations**

"Car accident; drunk driver, and no it weren't me 'oo were pissed, before yer even ask."

"I wasn't going to."

"Anyway, I were in a coma for the best part o' 6 months. Durin' which time I were trippin' the light fantastic o' me mind through the seventies and eighties. Woke up 'ere, extremely confused about eighteen months ago."

"Any lasting damage from the accident?" Alex asked. Was that concern he could hear in her voice?

"Not really. 'Ave a dodgy leg from time ter time, but apart from that I'm fully functional," he told her waggling his eyebrows. She smiled shyly and he continued, "Me memory took it's time comin' back but now I can just about remember everythin' that 'appened before the accident." Alex considered his words, he was lucky...they both were. "Come on Drake," pressed Gene, unnerved by her sudden silence, "there must be a million an' one questions flyin' round that pretty little 'ead o' yers."

"When I told you that I was from the future, you didn't believe me? Why?"

"I'd forgotten Bolls. Simple as that. I'd become so absorbed in that world that I'd completely put the real world out of me head. An' when I woke up I thought back ter that day, and assumed that yer were a construct; made by me subconscious tryin' ter remind me...that's yer fault; some o' yer psychobabble rubbed off on me. It never occurred to me that you might actually exist."

"What happened after I left? That world, I mean."

"There were an' enquiry. D&C were all over me like a rash."

"D&C? That's a gynaecological procedure isn't it?"

"Nothin' so glamourous; Discipline & Complaints. The Rubberheelers. I were stripped o' me badge; forced ter take early retirement. Turns out if yer shoot a fellow officer they get a bit annoyed about it." Alex could hear the bitterness in his voice, and suddenly felt the need to apologise,

"I'm s-"

"No! Don't yer dare say yer sorry! None of it were yer fault. Bloody 'ell Bolls, it weren't even real; I don't know why I'm even bothered."

"Because it felt so real, Gene. And I'm not convinced that it wasn't." She stood up and began to unfasten the bottom buttons of her shirt.

"Steady on Bolls! As much as I really would like ter find out if yer a C or a D cup, I'd rather it weren't in front of yer sick daughter."

"Huh! In your dreams Hunt," she quipped.

"Regularly." Alex looked down at him expecting to see a teasing glint in his eyes but there was nothing of the sort. If anything, what she saw was sincerity and that scared her. She continued with the task in hand, moving her shirt aside to show him her scar. His eyes widened in shock and he stood in front of her and reached out cautiously touching his hand to the wrinkled skin. "'Ow is that possible?"

"I don't know. All I know is it wasn't there before." Gene looked closely at the wound,

"I'm sorry," he began, "I could've 'it me target, but yer fell all wrong." Alex looked into his eyes,

"Sometimes in life you can't help which way you fall," she whispered, placing her hand over his. Electricity sparked between them and for a moment Alex thought that something was going to happen, but they were startled by Molly's groggy voice,

"Mum?" Gene and Alex sprang apart and Alex rushed to her daughter. "Where am I?"

"You're in hospital sweetheart. You're quite poorly but the doctors are trying to make you better." Gene hovered around in the background for a few moments, before announcing he would go and let the nurses know that Molly was awake.

"Who was that?" Molly asked once he'd left the room.

"You'll never believe me when I tell you," Alex informed her, "but that's Gene Hunt." Molly racked her brains; why did she know that name? Suddenly her eyes became as wide as saucers,

"Gene as in Gene from your coma world?" Alex nodded,

"Yeh. Turns out he was real after all."

"What? How?" the young girl asked, but Alex was prevented from answering by the arrival of the doctor. Alex gave Molly a look that told her she would explain everything later.

"Miss Drake, nice to see you're awake," the doctor chirped brightly as he entered. How are you feeling?" Molly shrugged. "Okay then, let's take a look at you." He looked between Molly's notes and the monitors making various notes as he went, "temperature's down slightly... heart rate normal...blood pressure okay." He shone a light onto Molly's' face and she shirked away from it, screwing her eyes shut, "still sensitive to light. Can you move your head from side to side for me? How does that feel?"

"It still hurts," whimpered Molly, "but it's better than it was." The doctor scribbled something down, and took out his stethoscope.

"I need to listen to your chest and check on that rash okay?" Molly nodded and allowed him to examine her. "Breath sounds are stronger and it looks like the rash is fading." He indicated for Alex to follow him in to the corridor, where she found Gene waiting. The doctor addressed them both simultaneously. Gene felt a little out of place, but Alex didn't make any attempts to stop the doctor so he kept quiet. "The antibiotics are certainly doing the trick; her temperature is falling, the stiffness in her neck is easing and the rash is fading."

"So she's going to be okay?" Alex asked.

"She's not out of the woods yet and we'll still need to check for any complications, but her chances are greatly improved now that's she's started to fight off the infection. I'll need you to consent to a lumbar puncture to confirm the meningitis, and then we'll need to inform the school and we'll prescribe antibiotics to anyone who Molly has been in close contact with over the last two days, jut as a precaution. It would really help if you could start compiling a list." Alex nodded. "I'll get you the consent forms and then I'll run through the procedure with you and Molly."

* * *

Molly was given a local anaesthetic and a small dose of sedative while the procedure was performed. Alex was allowed to remain in the room to help soothe and comfort her daughter. The doctor asked Molly to lie on her side in the foetal position and to remain very still. Alex held her hand as he located the space between two of Molly's vertebrae and slowly inserted a needle. Molly winced,

"Is it hurting sweetheart?" one of the nurses asked.

"It's not painful, but I can feel it. It's uncomfortable," she explained.

"That's normal," assured the nurse, "we'll be as quick as we can. Try to think about something else. Talk to your Mum to take your mind of it."

"Tell me about Gene," she implored. Alex rolled her eyes; she was like a dog with bone.

"I arrived at work this morning to discover that my new boss was none other than Gene. Not sure who was more surprised...him or me, but then he'd had a bit of time to get used to the idea by then."

"He remembers you then?"

"Yeh."

"How is that even poss-"

"All done Molly. You can roll over now," interrupted the nurse. "You need to lie flat for a couple of hours. You might get a headache, but lying still should reduce the chances of that. You might also feel a little discomfort when the anaesthetic wears off." Molly manoeuvred herself gently onto her back. Alex looked at her watch,

"I'm just going to go and see if I can find out where your Dad is. He should be here by now." Molly rolled her eyes, he mother was so insistent that she have a relationship with her father, but Molly wasn't bothered either way. She didn't understand why she should be after all, he was the one who had just upped and left.

Molly lay there alone for a while, feeling the anaesthetic begin to wear off and pain replace the numbness, before the door opened and in shuffled Gene. He seemed startled to notice that she was awake,

"Oh, sorry. Thought yer'd be asleep. I'll go."

"No! Stay. Please!" begged Molly, "I'm bored stiff just lying here on my own."

"Yer Mam's gone to talk to your Dad and Evan. She won't be long."

"It's Gene, right?" she asked. He must've looked shocked as Molly felt the need to explain, "It's alright. I know all about the 80's. I don't know how to explain it...but I believe my mum. Kind of hard not to now you've appeared."

"Hmm. So, 'ow yer doin'?" Gene was eager to change the subject.

"Feeling a little better. I don't feel sicky anymore, but they've done this stupid test and now my back is wrecking!" Molly managed a small smile at the irony of the doctors making her feel worse. "How are you? Must've been a bit of shock to walk into a new job and see Mum?"

"Yer not wrong."

"You're glad about it though, right?" Molly asked, wincing slightly from the pain.

"Course I am! Don't tell 'er I said this, but yer Mam's a good copper; even if she does put ter much faith in her psycho-bollocks…err…I mean…" Molly chuckled,

"Don't worry Gene; I've heard worse at school…and from Mum come to think of it. Anyway, that's not want I meant…I didn't mean on a professional level. I was thinking more as her..." Molly paused as she searched for the right word, "…friend?"

"Oh, err…yeh…I suppose." What the hell was the matter with him? He was usually so self confident, but 5 minutes in the room with Alex's daughter turned him into a stuttering wreck. If it had been anyone else delving into his personal life, including Alex, he'd have told them where to go. Why did Molly have such an effect on him?

"You don't sound too sure."

"Well, it is good ter know I'm not stark ravin' mad an' all." Molly fixed him with a stare; by no means was she convinced by, or going to accept, his answer. He sighed; she was so much like her Mother. "Yer Mam and me…when she left it weren't exactly under the best o' circumstances."

"Well no, I mean, you had just shot her." Gene tugged at his shirt collar, just how much did Molly know? As if reading his mind she continued, "Mum's been pretty open about what happened; we have that kind of relationship."

"Right. So as yer can imagine at this moment in time, I ain't quite sure where we're at; boss and subordinate, colleagues, friends, or…" Gene left that sentence hanging.

"Or…" prompted Molly, cursing under her breath as her Mum and Dad entered; she'd been hoping to ascertain how Gene felt about her Mum and what he was going to do about it now they had been reunited.

"Gene?" Alex exclaimed, surprised to see him and Molly chatting.

"Alright Bolls. I jus' thought Molly 'ere might like some company," he offered in explanation.

"Oh right," replied Alex with a shocked smile, before turning to Pete, "Gene this is Pete, Molly's father. Pete, this is Gene, my…boss." Molly smirked at her mum's hesitation; she obviously wasn't sure how to introduce him and that spoke volumes. Pete extended his hand and Gene reached out, shaking it.

"It's nice to meet you," he said.

"An' you." Gene replied, none too cheerily. He had seen how Alex reacted when faced with the young Peter Drake and he knew that he hadn't treated her well. Alex sensed the tension and turned to Gene,

"Right, now Pete's here to keep an eye on Molls, you can drive me home to get some of her things."

**Please R&R - I love getting your comments and feedback. Next chapter might be a little while - I have a PGCE interview to prepare for, so I excpect to be very busy! **


	6. Garibaldis

**Mega apologies for the delay in updates – life's been a bit manic recently. To all those reviewers who wished me good luck for my uni interview, it went okay but I've not heard yet. And to those of you waiting for an update to my other fic: Tumble and Twirl, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a little longer. My hope was to look at it this weekend but I just didn't have time. What can I say? Advent is a busy time for us Christians! I'll try not to make you wait too long.**

**Thanks to GenesGirl13 for betaing! **

**Chapter 6**

Alex left Gene in the living room while she ran round gathering some things for Molly and packing an overnight bag for herself; there was no way she was leaving that hospital until Molly was well enough to leave with her.

Gene stood in the centre of the room, unsure of what to do; should he sit down, or would that be a little presumptuous? He decided to remain standing and looked around; the decor was very sedate; magnolia walls, laminate flooring - quite plain really, unlike the flat Alex had inhabited in their coma world. His eyes were drawn to the photographs that adorned the shelf above the fireplace. Molly's school picture took pride of place in the centre, and was flanked on one side by a picture of her mother and on the other a picture of another woman that looked like it was from a different century. He picked it up to examine it more closely.

"That's my great grandmother," Alex told him as she entered the room with 2 bags, "Her name's Molly too. She was a suffragette. All the important people in my family sit on that shelf." Gene nodded and replaced the photograph carefully, not mentioning the lack of photos of Evan or her father. "Do you want a drink before we set off back?" she asked.

"Tea would be nice. Fi-"

"Five sugars, yeh, I know. Come on through to the kitchen." Alex deposited the bags in the hallway before heading through a door at the end of the corridor. Gene followed and sat down at the kitchen table as instructed. As Alex busied herself making the tea, Gene's eyes were drawn to the hive of activity that was the fridge door. To-do lists, postcards and appointment cards adorned it, as did a small whiteboard on which was scribbled, _"deposit for Molly's school trip!"_ in Alex's recognisable hand. Alex placed a mug in front of Gene and followed this up with a plate of biscuits before sitting down with her own drink.

"Garibaldis? But you don't like Garibaldis," commented Gene as he helped himself to one.

"No, but erm...I unconsciously picked some up whilst out shopping after I was released from hospital," Alex told him, blushing. Gene paused and looked warily at the biscuit that was half way to his mouth. Alex caught his look and giggled, "Don't worry, that's not the original packet. Molly found them in the cupboard and took an instant liking to them, so they've become a staple part of my shopping list. I suppose I should be grateful; it could've been whiskey that I'd come home with!" Gene allowed himself a wry smile and ate his biscuit. Silence filled the air as the two of them sipped their drinks slowly.

"Nice place," Gene commented as he helped himself to another biscuit. "I 'ave ter admit, I expected yer to be livin' in somethin' resemblin' Buck 'Ouse considerin' yer parents were two o' the most famous bastard lawyers in the land back then."

"Ah, so you've figured that bit out then?"

"Aye, an' it certainly explains a few things," he told her, remembering her craziness when it came to the Price's. "Yer tried so hard ter save 'em. Bloody 'ell, yer even arrested 'em; yer own parents..." Gene trailed off as something seemed to dawn on him. He lowered his gaze, unable to look at her.

"Gene?" she questioned.

"I released 'em," he whispered, still not meeting her eyes. "It were my fault. Shit, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It would have probably happened anyway. My father was nothing if not determined," Alex commented, bitterness lacing her every word. The hurt in her voice tore through his heart and he raised his head to look at her.

"It were a shitty way fer yer ter find out; seein' that tape must've been 'ard." he said, cringing as he remembered his words to her: ''Ow would yer like to grow up knowin' yer daddy tried to blow yer to kingdom come?'

"It was, but I know the truth now. That's the main thing," she declared, but her resolution didn't quite reach her eyes. He reached over the table and placed his hand over hers. The warmth from his touch seemed to seep through her skin and travel directly to the depths of her soul providing comfort. She quickly became lost in his eyes and when his gaze dropped to her lips the air fizzed around them. Alex was helpless to stop the force that seemed to be pulling them closer to each other. She was sure he was going to kiss her; he was so close, she could feel his breath on her face. Suddenly the sound of the kitchen door opened, and Alex and Gene sprang away from each other. Alex turned round to see Evan standing in the doorway. His eyes darkened as he looked between Gene and Alex, taking in their flushed faces and embarrassed expressions,

"Lex? What's going on? Who's with Molly?"

"Pete's sitting with her for a bit so I asked Gene to drive me home to pick up some stuff for Molly." Alex explained, getting up from the table.

"Really? Cos that's not what it looks like to me. It looks like you've abandoned your sick daughter to sneak off with your boss for some quick thrill?" Alex's hand connected with Evan's face almost as soon as he'd finished his sentence,

"How dare you!" she spat, anger coursing through her veins. "How dare you accuse me of...that. Especially after what you've done."

"Right, that's enough," declared Evan, holding his reddened cheek, "I am getting damn sick and tired of these sideswipes you keep taking at me. Would you care to enlighten me as to what I've supposed to have done?"

"Supposed? There's no supposed about it. I know, Evan." Evan looked at her blankly "I know about you and Mum. That that was the reason my father tried to blow us all to kingdom come, and how Layton blackmailed you because you'd never told me. When you refused to pay up he took me hostage and shot me. I know it all Evan." Evan didn't know what to say, he just stood there open mouthed. Alex's was seething; her face was flushed and she was breathing heavily. If it hadn't been for the context of the situation, Gene was sure she'd have been giving him the horn. He stepped behind her, placing his hands on her arms and rubbing gently to calm her down.

"Come on, Bolly, deep breath," he whispered. Alex shivered at his touch. She was breathing hard, but his hands were warm and gentle and she felt the tension drain out of her. A little sob escaped her with the release of the stress and she wiped her tears on her sleeve. "Bolls, don't cry. That's an order." Another sob escaped her and she turned round and buried her face into his chest. His hands moved from her arms to her back, but continued to rub lazy circles, trying desperately to calm her down. "You and Evan need to talk about this, but not now. Right now, Molly needs yer; both o' yer." He looked pointedly at Evan over her shoulder and raised his eyebrows in question. Evan nodded. Alex sniffed, nodding her head. Gene placed a gentle kiss the top of her head before pushing her backwards slightly and cupping her face in his hands and using the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Come on Bolls, dry yer eyes."

Evan was shocked at Alex's outburst; she was normally so reserved with her emotions and never cried in front of anybody. He was also amazed at how quickly she had calmed at Gene's touch. The Price temper was not easy to handle; he knew that all too well from numerous run-ins with her, Caroline and Molly over the years. Alex pulled away from Gene and turned to face her Godfather, who took a step forward,

"'Lex..." he began but Alex raised her hand,

"Don't. I can't do this right now. I need to get back to Molly. You can come by and see her tonight if you like."

"You sure?"

"You're her Godfather. Whatever is happening between us, it's not fair for Molly to lose out." Evan nodded,

"I'll drop by about half seven then."

"Yer ready ter get back then Bolls?" Gene asked, picking up his mug and downing the dregs of his tea.

"Yeh. Oh hang on; I've forgotten Molly's iPod. Just give me a sec." Alex left the kitchen to retrieve the iPod from Molly's room. Gene stepped towards Evan and stood in front of him in an intimidating manner.

"Yer'd better think very carefully about what yer goin' ter say ter her. Cos if yer 'urt 'er I won't be 'eld responsible fer me actions. Understand?" Evan nodded; fear in his eyes. Alex returned iPod in hand, but didn't look at Evan; she merely motioned to Gene from the doorway to join her in the hall. Gene placed their dishes in the sink, before following her. He picked up her bags and led her out to the car.

**Please review - I like to know what you all think!**


	7. Ultimate Question

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's another chapter for you. Hope you enjoy. It's unbeta-d so all mistakes are my own. Oh and in a shameless piece of advertising, I'm working on a Christmas Ashes to Ashes one-shot. Keep and eye out! :D**

**Chapter 7**

Today was the day that Molly was being discharged from the hospital. She had spent 10 days in there and was now considered well enough to go home, although she was under strict instructions to take it easy and not to go into school for at least another week. Alex had rarely left her side while she'd been in hospital; the nurses had even found her a bed to sleep in and Gene had granted her a leave of absence from work for as long as she needed to allow her to be with her daughter. He'd visit every night and sit and chat with Alex and Molly then when Evan arrived, he and Alex would disappear for a couple of hours. They'd go for a drink or for a walk or a quick drive; basically just reacquaint themselves with each other and their modern day lives. Neither dared to mention the events that had occurred in Alex's kitchen the day Molly had gotten ill, but it was obvious that their relationship was slowly shifting to something that resembled more than good friends.

Alex and Evan had finally managed to sit down together and talk about 5 days after Molly had gotten sick. They'd nearly had another row in front of Molly and Pete, who was visiting at the time, had told in no uncertain terms to go and sort themselves out as their arguing was doing Molly more harm than good. Alex had opened up to him and told him how betrayed and hurt she had felt when she'd discovered the truth about her parents' death. Evan had defended his actions; telling her that he had kept it from her to protect her and that he had truly believed it had been for the best. Alex accepted his reasons, but explained that it was going to take a long time for her to trust him again and she couldn't promise that things would ever be the same between them. But they were talking again and that was the main thing.

Gene had offered to pick both Alex and Molly up from the hospital, which was how he had found himself alone with Molly when she'd asked him the ultimate question.

Alex was talking to the doctors outside the room and Gene was giving Molly a rundown of City's performance in last night's European match when she turned to him and asked bluntly,

"Do you love my Mum?" Gene stopped dead, had he heard her correctly?

"Yer what?"

"I said, do you love my Mum?"

"I...err..." Gene ran his hands through his hair; he felt uncomfortable talking about his feelings at the best of times, but to a 14 year old?

"It's okay Gene, I've got a pretty good idea anyway. It's pretty obvious from the way you are around her. I was just wondering whether you were planning on doing anything about it. Or are you just going to ignore it, and then have to watch as she starts dating someone else?"

"'Oo?" Gene asked a little too eagerly.

"No one specific. It was a hypothetical scenario." Gene let out a breath he hadn't even realised he'd been holding as Molly assured him that there wasn't some handsome doctor or lawyer waiting in the wings. "But she's not gonna wait around forever," continued Molly. "You need to tell her how you feel."

"An' 'ow would yer suggest I do that?" Gene couldn't believe he was asking for advice on his love life from a teenager.

"Take her out?" suggested Molly as if it should be obvious. She didn't want to give him too much help; it needed to come from him. Gene thought about Molly's suggestion for a moment and then said,

"There's a nice country pub about an hours drive from 'ere. Not too posh that I'd feel like a twonk, but not a dive either. I could take 'er there?"

"Sounds good. I think she'd like that. Why don't you go tomorrow; its Saturday and I'll be at Dad's so you don't have to worry about me being home alone."

"Alright. Yer on," declared Gene with a smile

"Cool. Now all you have to do is ask her." Gene's face dropped; he'd forgotten about that part. What the hell was he supposed to say to her? He couldn't ask Molly for her advice because Alex chose that moment to re-enter the room,

"You ready Molls?"

"Yup! Freedom here we come," Molly almost sang as she left the room, followed by Alex and then Gene.

* * *

The drive back to Alex's flat was pretty quiet; Molly, who still got tired easily, had fallen asleep in the back and Alex seemed quite content to sit in companionable silence. Due to the fact that they'd left the hospital in the early afternoon, there was no rush hour traffic to contend with, meaning they arrived quite quickly. Evan and Pete had put up a banner outside announcing, 'Welcome Home Molly' and were waiting at the door as they pulled into the drive. Alex woke Molly who upon seeing Evan, rushed out of the car to greet him, leaving Gene and Alex alone for the first time that day.

"Well, 'ere we are Bolls," Gene remarked, struggling to find the words to ask her to dinner.

"Yeh. Thanks for today Gene. I really appreciate it" she said, leaning in and placing a quick peck on his cheek, before pulling back opening the car door. She'd just swung her legs out when she turned her head to look at him and asked, "So what time are you picking me up tomorrow?"

"Eh?"

"You said something to Molly about a country pub. Sounds lovely. So what time?"

"I...err...about half 5?" Gene managed to stutter out whilst wondering how much of the rest of the conversation she'd overheard.

"Great. I'll be ready."

"Huh! A woman ready on time? I'll believe that when I see it!" he commented sarcastically. "Anyway, I'd best be gettin' back ter the station. I'll see yer termorrow Bolls."

"Tomorrow," she said simply, getting out of the car and watching it drive away.

* * *

Alex stood in her mirror looking over her outfit, wondering if it was too much. It was the third outfit she'd tried on and she was getting nowhere. When she'd overheard Gene and Molly's conversation, she'd been elated at the prospect of a date with Gene, and the fact that he hadn't denied Molly's assumption that he loved her had made her heart soar. But now, it was 5 o'clock, Gene was due to pick her up in half an hour and she was a nervous wreck. She looked at the outfit again and shook her head. It was no good, she needed advice. Sighing heavily she picked up the phone,

"Hi Mum," Molly greeted brightly, "everything okay?"

"Molls! You've got to help me. I have no idea what to wear tonight. I've standing in front of my wardrobe for the past twenty minutes but nothing seems right. Everything is either too dressy or too casual." Molly chuckled silently to herself. Could her mother not see that she could be wearing a bin bag and Gene would still think she was the most beautiful woman on the planet?

"Wear your skinny jeans and the red cashmere jumper I got you last Christmas."

"But I've got no shoes to go with that," Alex pointed out. Molly let out an exasperated sigh.

"You can borrow my red heels then; you've been eyeing them up since I got them anyway. They should be in my wardrobe." Alex had to smile at that, it was true. Ever since Molly had come home from Top Shop with them, she'd wanted them; they reminded her of her time in the Eighties.

"Thanks Molls! You're a star!"

"Yeh, yeh, the bill will be in the post," she joked. Alex chuckled,

"Good night Molls. I'll see you tomorrow. And be good for your Dad and Judy."

"I will. Have a good night. Love you."

"Love you too Molls." And with that, Alex hung up the phone and set about getting ready.

**Next up: the date.**


	8. The Date

**Hey guys! This story is coming to an end (this is the second to last chapter). Hopefully I will get it finished before 2011 but we'll see . Thanks for all your reviews/favourites/alerts. Really appreciate it. **

**Now, as promised, here is the date.**

**Chapter 8**

The short, sharp knock on the door startled Alex as she was applying the last of her makeup. Putting her lip gloss down, she looked at her watch - 5.25. She was impressed; Gene was early. She opened the door to find him leaning casually against the doorframe. He was wearing jeans and a black shirt that he'd left open at the collar allowing her to see his trademark gold necklace glinting in the light.

"Yer ready Bolls?" he asked.

"Not quite. Come on in," she told him, stepping back to let him pass.

"I knew it; women can never be ready on time," he smirked triumphantly. Alex pointed to the clock on the wall,

"Technically you're early," she informed him.

"Five minutes; what exactly can yer do in five minutes?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she replied flirtatiously as she rushed upstairs.

"Most definitely!" he assured with an appreciative glance at her rear as she disappeared out of view at the top of the stairs. She reappeared seconds later, her feet clad in the shiny red heels.

"Ready now," she declared joining him in the hallway. He took his time looking her up and down, taking in her in. God she was gorgeous! Alex blushed under his obvious gaze, "see something you like Mr Hunt?"

"What can I say Bolls, I 'ave an appreciation o' gorgeous wimmin," he teased. "Come on, let's get out o' 'ere."

* * *

Conversation flowed easily between them as Gene drove them to the pub. They chatted about what they had done earlier in the day. Alex recalled how she had enjoyed a lazy morning with Molly before dropping her off at her Dad's and Gene told her how he'd washed his car before settling down in front of the TV for the football to watch City thrash Chelsea. The topic of conversation may not have seemed the most interesting to most people but the occupants of the car were enthralled with each other's tales.

When they arrived at their destination, Alex was pleasantly surprised. She'd wondered if Gene's idea of a country pub consisted of a draughty building next to a couple of fields, but she was wrong. The Outgate Inn was an old 18th Century building that looked to have kept many of its original features and was actually quite elegant in an understated way.

Gene led her into the pub; placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her. They were shown to a table in the far corner, not too dissimilar to the one they'd frequented in Luigi's. The pub was quite busy, but the tables were spaced quite far apart so it afforded them a little bit of privacy. The menu consisted of a large variety of 'home cooked food' that was 'freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients.' Their waiter approached them and seemed to take an instant liking to Alex; something that did not go unnoticed by Gene. He found it difficult to control his jealousy as the young man's eyes repeatedly fell to Alex's chest as he took their order. Once he'd finished and was out of earshot Alex, who had been watching Gene's reactions with interest, turned to Gene,

"Something the matter Gene?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"'Ow can yer sit there an' let 'im ogle yer like that. 'E couldn't 'ave bin any more obvious if 'e'd tried."

"Well it's no worse than what you used to do," Alex pointed out.

"That were different," he informed her. "Perk o' the job Bolly; no point 'avin a female DI if yer couldn't have a look every now an' then."

"Besides," continued Alex, "why shouldn't I enjoy the attention? I am single after all." At that moment, Gene understood completely what Molly had meant in the hospital. If he didn't make a move soon, she would find someone else and then what would he do. He'd already lost her once; could he really go through that again? The only question was how did he broach the subject?

As it turned out, it was Alex who gave him the way in. They were just finishing off their main courses when she place her knife and fork down and looked at him,

"If I hadn't pre-empted you yesterday, would you have actually asked me to dinner tonight?"

"O' course! I were just tryin' ter decide 'ow best ter go about it!" Alex gave him a sceptical look. "I were!" he protested, "If yer 'adn't bin so impatient yer'd 'ave found out wouldn't yer? Far ter nosy fer yer own good; spoilin' the surprise!"

"Oh, I don't know. I'd say that what I overheard was still quite surprising," she teased.

"Just 'ow much did yer actually 'ear?"

"Enough," she told him with a smirk.

"Come on Bolls. Did no one ever tell yer it ain't nice ter tease. At least give me an 'int!"

"All of it." Gene paled at her response,

"What?" he choked out.

"I heard it all. I was just about to come in the room when I heard Molly ask you if you loved me."

"But yer though yer'd listen in anyway, an' then let me make a complete twonk o' meself?" He didn't mean to snap at her, but his pride had been dented and it was his natural reaction.

"You've not made a fool of yourself Gene," Alex tried to assure.

"Oh no? Come off it Bolls! What kind o' a chance 'as an old bugger like me got wi' a posh bird like you?" He looked down then, suddenly finding his half finished plate of gammon extremely interesting. Alex, completely unfazed by his reaction, reached over and placed her hand atop his.

"Gene!" she pleaded quietly and he raised his head. "You know that I would never intentionally hurt you. I'm here because I want to be, not because I'm trying to make a fool of you."

"What exactly are yer sayin'?" Alex shook her head; he really could be dense at times.

"I'm saying that I love you Gene Hunt. God help me, but I do."

"Quite right an' all?" he told her, trying to disguise his relief.

"You know," continued Alex, "despite overhearing your conversation with Molls-"

"Earwiggin' yer mean?" he interrupted. Alex glared at him and continued on regardless,

"Despite that, I still don't know exactly how you feel about me."

"What are yer on about woman?" he asked.

"Well when Molly asked you, you didn't actually give her an answer," she pointed out.

"Well I'm 'ere aren't I?"

"Yes, I suppose you are." Alex tried not to let her disappointment show through; after all she'd never expected that Gene Hunt would be the lovey-dovey type.

"Flamin' 'ell!" muttered Gene, sensing Alex's frustration. "I bloody well love yer. Even if yer are the the most infuriatin' woman I've ever met. Wanted yer since the first time I laid eyes on yer an' all." His eyes dropped to the table in embarrassment. Alex touched her hand to his,

"Gene?" He raised his head,

"What?"

"Shall we skip dessert," she asked seductively. Gene's eyes lit up,

"Waiter! Can we 'ave the bill please?

**A/N: One more to go! **


	9. Epilogue

**Thank you so much for all your reviews. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story and I hope this final part doesn't disappoint. I suppose as it's an epilogue it should be shorter than the other chapters, but it's not. I make no apologies for this fact. **

**Thanks to GenesGirl13 for beta-ing. **

**Epilogue**

As Molly got off the bus and made her way into the large, dominating building in front of her, she reflected on the past year since she'd been discharged from hospital. She was now fully recovered and luckily, there had been no complications.

Gene had stayed over the night of his first date with Alex, and the next night, and every night after that. Over time more and more of his belongings appeared around the house and eventually he and Alex decided that it was silly for him to keep paying rent on a flat that was just gathering dust. So he moved in. Officially. He'd fitted in perfectly from day one, becoming an integral part of the family. He and Molly had got on like a house on fire and Gene took on his fatherly role with gusto, attending parent's evenings, hockey matches and driving her around. He was so much like a Dad that when her real father had upped and moved back to Canada, she wasn't fazed at all. Gene treated her like his own child and the two of them would often gang up on Alex in order to get their own way; knowing she wouldn't be able to resist both of them for long. Most Saturdays would find the two of them sat in front of the television watching the football; an arrangement that worked fantastically unless City were playing Molly's team: Arsenal. Molly stopped for a moment to check the signage on the corridor. She located where she needed to be and set off in that direction as she remembered Gene's face after the last match between them; Arsenal had come from behind to beat City 3-2. Gene had not been amused and had sulked for the rest of the day.

A blast of music from her bag told Molly that her phone was ringing. She stopped to retrieve it and checked the caller display; it was Evan. Pressing the reject button, she sent him a quick message saying she'd ring him later and turned her phone off. Things had been strained between Evan and Alex for a long time after Molly's illness. Alex had tried to shield her from most of the fall out, insisting that she maintained a relationship with Evan, and she'd found it difficult at first but over time things improved, even between her Mum and her Godfather. Molly had worried it would all go pear shaped again when Gene moved in; Evan had disapproved and he and Alex had had a blazing row over her and Gene's 'whirlwind romance' as Evan liked to call it. Alex had told him in no uncertain terms that it was none of his business and that if he wasn't happy about it he could leave. He had left, but had come back a couple of hours later with his tail between his legs and apologised. Evan's attitude towards Gene annoyed Molly too, but when she thought about it, he wasn't privy to what had happened in their coma world.

Molly got in the lift at the end of the corridor and leant against the wall, a huge sigh escaping her. Their coma world; that was another thing that had featured heavily in the past year. After her Mum had told Gene what had happened to Sam, they both did a lot of soul searching and decided to do some digging to try to find out if the other people who they had met in their coma world had actually existed. It had been an emotional rollercoaster for all involved. They'd found Chris and Shaz; both had been in comas as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. Chris had been shot during an armed robbery in Manchester and Shaz had been stabbed trying to stop a car thief. They were, however, now fully recovered. When Alex had turned up on Shaz's doorstep she'd had pretty much the same reaction as Alex had when she'd seen Gene. Chris faired a little better when Gene had visited him, but was still pretty shocked. He'd visited Gene and Alex and been reunited with Shaz and before long he'd moved down to London. They were back on track with their relationship and getting married next summer. It hadn't all been sunshine, roses and happy endings though. They'd managed to locate Ray too; buried in Agecroft Cemetery, Manchester. He'd hung himself; they'd managed to keep him alive for a few days but his body had just given up. They'd located Phyllis and Annie too; they'd also not made it. Discovering what had happened to Annie was the last straw for Gene and they had made the heart wrenching decision to stop searching. Gene didn't think he could cope with losing anymore friends. If they came across news of them then they'd deal with that but they weren't going to go actively looking for them.

They'd all concluded that the 'coma world' must be somewhere where police officers who are near to death go, but that was about the only constant they could find apart from the fact that they all seemed to have to relive a significant event from their past; Alex's parents' deaths, Sam's father walking out. The correlation between time in the 'real world' and the 'coma world' were different for everyone, some heard voices from their futures whilst others didn't. The rate at which they forgot their real world also varied from person to person. Alex had never forgotten completely where as Gene had. Molly and Alex suspected it depended on the severity of their injuries as well as their attachments in their 'real world'; just how desperate were they to return?

As she pushed open the final door on the way to her destination Molly could only hope that things got better for them all from now on. She had a sneaking suspicion they might, what with Chris and Shaz's wedding and –

"Molls!" a voice called, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Gene leaning against the wall, waiting for her. He looked tired but she supposed that was to be expected. She rushed to him and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He returned her embrace, anchoring her tightly.

"How is she?" Molly asked as they pulled away.

"She's fine." Molly let out a sigh of relief.

"And..?"

"Everythin's fine. Yer'd best get in there, she's eager ter see yer."

"You not coming?" questioned Molly, as Gene began to walk away.

"I've got a couple o' calls ter make. I'll be back in a bit," he assured. Molly nodded and turned the handle on the door slowly, not wanting to make too much noise. She opened it a crack and peered in. Alex was sat up in a bed in the centre of the room.

"Hey!" whispered Molly. Alex looked up and gave her a big smile,

"Molls!" Molly took this as a sign that she could enter and walked over to her Mum's bed, perching on the edge.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Tired and a little achey but that's to be expected. How did you get here?"

"I got the bus. Well two actually, one into the station and then another one out again. I was in French when Gene called, but he left a message saying you were here and I got out of school as soon as I could."

"You'd better not be missing lessons, young lady," admonished Alex. Molly rolled her eyes,

"It's only PE and Citizenship and besides, this is waaay more important. All we'd be doing i-" A soft whimper from the corner of the room caught Molly's attention and she rose from her position and made her way over to the small cot. She looked down in awe to see a small bundle of blue blankets; a little face peeping out of the top, looking at her. She knew that the baby wouldn't even be able to focus on her but in that moment she felt as if he was looking right at her. "He's perfect!" she cooed. The newborn soon began fussing and Molly moved to pick him up, glancing to her Mum for approval.

"May I?"

"Of course you can." Molly carefully picked up her baby brother and settled him in the crook of her arm.

"Hey now, none of that," she whispered tenderly as she gently bounced and rocked him as if she'd done it a hundred times before. To her surprise he quietened instantly. Molly looked at her Mum wide eyed.

"He knows you; must recognise your voice."

"Does he have a name yet?" Molly asked, remembering the constant disagreements Alex and Gene had had when discussing names.

"He does. It was a pretty easy decision to make in the end. His name is-"

"Samuel," answered Gene, returning to the room. "Sam fer short." Molly noticed the look that passed between her Mum and Gene; this was their tribute to their mutual friend.

"I like it!" she declared, sitting down in the chair next to her Mum's bed, careful not to disturb the baby.

"We were thinking you might some ideas for his middle name," Alex told her.

"Me? Wow! That's a big responsibility."

"No poncey names though," Gene warned.

"Would I?" asked Molly, feigning innocence. She was quiet then, staring at Sam, pondering the names she'd come across when looking at the books with her Mum. She thought about Ray, but didn't think the name of another dead copper was appropriate. This baby represented a new start and he should have his own identity. Eventually, having come to a decision, she raised her head,

"What about James?" she suggested.

"James? Hmm," considered Gene. "It's a good name, nice and strong."

"Samuel James Hunt; I think it suits him," agreed Alex.

**A/N: Well, that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed. Thank you for accompanying me, Gene, Alex and Molly on this marvellous journey. **


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